Colorful Parade
by CherrySpringer
Summary: Amu Hinamori has never had a solid life – and the closest she has come failed miserably of its own accord. Now, she once again faces the challenge of being around a new set of faces with all the same problems. It may change with the help of a cat. Amuto.
1. Day One  Light Inside the Dark

Rima kinda looks like a Tiger. =3

Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara.

Summary: Amu Hinamori has never had a solid life – and the closest she has come failed miserably of its own accord. Now, she once again faces the challenge of being around a new set of faces with all the same problems. However, she may just be finding that this time – it's different. All thanks to a cat-like boy. Amuto.

Chapter 1: Day One – The Light Inside The Dark

Sunlight shined through the white curtains, and with a groan, I opened my eyes, unable to ignore it. Blinded by the light, I raised my hand as a shield. In an attempt to escape the harsh glare, I sat up, and the white blanket fell off of me into a clutter at my waist. Muttering to myself, I glanced at the clock.

"What!"

Biting down hard on my lip, I rolled off of the bed, the blanket falling to the floor. I paused, contemplating whether I should pick it up or not, before shaking my head and hurrying to the closet.

"What should I wear...?" I reached into the closet and grabbed at something randomly, then pulled it out. With a grunt, I threw it behind me. I reached in again.

"Amu, you already picked clothes out last night," a voice said from behind me. I turned fast enough to get a case of whiplash, facing my little sister Ami. Her honey coloured hair was braided half way down her back, her amber eyes chuckling at me. She was suppressing a smile as well.

"Where did I put them?" I demanded, looking around wildly. Ami pointed to the chair sitting by my desk, and I noticed the neatly folded clothes sitting on top of it. I attempted to jump over my bed, but I ended up landing on my stomach instead. I squirmed the rest of the way, falling onto the floor.

"You're really bad for this," Ami noted.

"Shut up!" I yelped, standing up quickly. I snatched the clothes off the chair and ran out of the room, past Ami. I turned the corner sharply, and ran down the hall, skidding to a stop in front of the washroom. Urgently, I knocked on the door, and when no one answered I threw it open, jumped inside, and slammed the door shut behind me.

Ami was laughing, her giggles so loud they reached through the door. I pursed my lips, hurrying to change into the black tee, red shorts and thigh high black and red striped socks. I looked at myself in the mirror, and frowned. My pink hair was a mess. It was standing up in all sorts of angels. One of the downsides to having short hair.

With an exhausted sigh, I took my normal red X pin and pinned my bangs back, taking a brush to smooth the rest out. I contemplated putting make-up on, staring at the large selection of it on the counter, then decided against it. It all belonged to Ami since I never felt the need to spend money on the stuff, so she would probably just be angry. However, I did brush my teeth as quickly as I could (I was a very thorough tooth brusher).

I hesitated when I reached to open the door. Once I left the bathroom, it would mean it was time to go.

I wasn't entirely sure if I was ready or not. I could feel my hand shaking as it gingerly went towards the door knob. Would I embarrass myself? Would they all ignore me? Would I just be an outcast all over again?

_It's not like I can't handle it...whatever happens, I'm ready for it._

"Amu! Come on, or we're seriously going to be late!" Ami called. I bit my lip, and grabbed onto the doorknob. It seemed so cold. With a deep breath, I released my lower lip and turned the knob.

Ami stood on the other side, hands on hips, wearing a cute white summer dress. For fourteen years old, she already looked like she was a senior. I, on the other hand, was a junior, and probably looked like one, too.

"You look like you're going to throw up," she said nervously, the haughty expression on her face disappearing. "You going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine," I muttered, shoving past her. I heard her following after me, but I didn't bother saying anything else.

Our parents were in the kitchen, both happily doing their morning routine, oblivious to what they were about to put their children through. When they saw us, they both beamed happily.

"Amu! You look so cool!" My dad said, his eyes practically sparkling in admiration. I rolled my eyes.

"And Ami! You look adorable!" Mom cooed, fawning over my sister. We both shared a knowing glance, and I turned to put my shoes on before I had to deal with more. My black converse were worn, showing that it was time for a new pair, although I knew I wouldn't be buying a new pair until I felt ready to let go of them and the past that came with them.

Ami was struggling to get away from our parents, no longer the three year old who would happily take the adoration. When she finally got away, she slipped on a pair of simple white sandals, winking at me before grabbing her large white purse and running out the door.

I frowned, knowing that she was planning on racing me to the school, and grabbed my black backpack off the coat rack, slinging it on and running out the door.

"Amu-chi!" Ami called, already well ahead of me, running fairly well for being in sandals. I grinned ferociously, loving the thrill of a challenge, and began running.

It was easy to catch up to Ami, but as soon as I did, she started putting real effort into her running. Her grin turned into a concentrated frown, and we both began to go all out. We passed various different people, most of them our age, all of them watching after us.

Our destination came into view when we turned our first corner two blocks away from home: the bus stop. Ami and I glanced at each other at the same time, and I grinned at her. Her face went from concentrated to worried, and I waved at her, putting on a burst of speed.

I reached the bus stop a good ten seconds before her, and I was bent over gasping when she caught up. She copied me, and as we stood there side by side, we began to laugh.

"You...suck!" she gasped out, holding her sides. I shook my head, clutching my stomach as a cramp started up.

"No...I just...conserve energy!" I replied. "Besides...wearing sandals...was stupid..."

Ami laughed, and stood up straight, placing a hand over her heart. Her smile turned soft. "You're right. Because every time we start something new, we always race, don't we? To find out who will go farther this time."

I frowned, still panting even though I didn't need to. I just didn't want to stand up yet. "But it's always wrong, isn't it?"

There was a long silence, and when I finally had the courage to stand up straight and face the new place I would be waiting every day, the bus was already in sight. "I'm sorry, Amu..."

"It's fine," I said. I smiled at Ami, who struggled to smile back. "Thanks, for being my friend even though we're so different. I need it right now."

"I know," she whispered. The brakes of the bus screeched harshly as it came to a stop in front of us, and the doors opened. I sighed, watching Ami get on first. From now on, that was probably all I was going to see of her; her ahead of me.

There was no looking back now. I took a breath and stepped onto the bus, pulling my bus pass out of the front pocket of my backpack and swiping it in the machine by the driver. The beep signalled it was okay, and I continued deeper into the bus.

It was packed with students, and the people we had passed on our race were now running to catch the bus as well. I searched for an empty seat, but there were none. Ami was already out of my sight, lost in the sea of people standing, so I just shoved my way through to the middle doors, where I leaned against the nearest pole.

I closed my eyes and grabbed onto the strap of my backpack, trying to ignore the sweat forming on my palms. I was tempted to take my hairpin out so that my bangs would hide my face, but I held myself back. I had promised my mom that I wouldn't hide my face for the first day.

I could feel the stares on my back. I opened my eyes and glanced behind me, right into the eyes of an amber eyed, violet haired girl. Her hair was amazingly long, tied into a high ponytail by a red ribbon. She didn't seem at all embarrassed that she had been caught staring. Instead, she smiled and raised her hand in greeting.

My cheeks went red and I turned my head away quickly, trying not to bite my lip.

The bus came to another stop, and my eyes strayed to the front to watch who came on. First was a girl with long blond hair in pigtails, her violet eyes fixated on a cell phone. She wore a white blouse and dark blue skinny jeans, stylish and tall and pretty, with a black choker on – and disgusting. I instantly didn't like her.

Directly behind her was a small girl with blonde hair and her eyes half closed. She wore a pink sweater and faded jeans, definitely not putting as much effort into herself as the girl in front of her. Behind her was a girl with a short, spunky hair cut, her bright purple hair almost shaping devil horns at the top. Her eyes were such an odd brown that they were almost red – or they really were red. It wouldn't be a surprise with all the contacts kids wore these days. She was daring with her clothing, wearing a red corset and extremely tight black skinnies. She winked at the bus driver as she got on.

I thought that was everyone getting, on, and right when I was expecting the bus driver to close the doors, another person got on.

He had headphones on, his deep blue eyes looking down at his bus pass. The headphones slightly flattened his soft-looking, slightly long dark blue hair. Looking at him reminded me of a cat, with how slender he was and how sleek he looked in his all black outfit. His shirt was long sleeved and V neck, and his jeans fit his body nicely, not too tight that it looked uncomfortable.

His eyes strayed to where I was, and for a split second our eyes met. My heart thumped and I felt my face flush as I looked away as quickly as possible. Yet another move that morning that was worthy of inducing whiplash.

However, even looking away, my heart didn't slow down. The flush didn't disappear for the rest of the bus ride, and I kept my head down, not wanting to meet his eyes again.

"Amu, it's time to get off," Ami's voice said in my ear. I jumped. Ami had found me, although I had no idea where she had been standing (or sitting, if some guy had been at her mercy). I nodded, trying to forget about the boy I had seen, and instead prepared myself to begin at a new school.

When the bus came to a stop, we were the first to get off since I had taken my spot by the doors, but I was surprised at how many others also got off. By the time all the people had gotten off the bus, it was probably empty, or close to it. I thought of how crowded it had been in there, and wondered if it would be like that every morning.

"Maybe we should take an earlier bus tomorrow," Ami observed, watching as all of the people who had just gotten off passed them and walked behind them and beside them. I caught sight of the boy walking next to the girl with the pigtails, but quickly looked away when I noticed he was looking in my direction.

"Yeah...maybe," I muttered.

"You're still nervous, huh?" Ami asked, giving me a bright smile. "Cheer up, big sis! You're my role model, remember?"

I smiled, reaching over and patting her head. She glared at me and stuck her tongue out, patting the top of her head as if I had messed her hair up. I rolled my eyes in a very exaggerated manner, and she laughed.

The school was just around the corner from the bus stop, and I felt my throat constrict as I looked at it. It was a large school, larger than my last school, and bright white. Stone steps led up to the front door, and a huge field displayed itself behind the school. Trees surrounded the whole place, giving it a distinct nature feel. The building was three stories high, most likely a floor for each grade, and a separate building entirely stood next to it. I looked like a gymnasium, or possibly an auditorium. Maybe even both.

The front courtyard was rather wide, with a fountain in the center of an angel, and the words on a plaque 'Guardian High School'. I hated the name of this school. Patches of grass separated the paths that led to the gymnasium and the main building.

"This place is kind of high class for a public high school," I said. I looked at Ami to see if she agreed, but her cheeks were flushed and her eyes wide in awe.

"Wow..." she whispered. "It's perfect."

I sighed. I had already lost her. I patted her on the shoulder and continued without her, whistling a tune under my breath. There was no point in sticking with her, now. I would just get in the way of her finding new friends.

I looked up into the bright blue sky. It still felt like summer, which I desperately wanted it to be. I had to admit, though, that I was glad it was still only September – even though transferring schools two weeks after it started seemed somehow silly.

People were staring at me as I made my way to the entrance. Despite how large the school was and how early into the year it was, I still screamed 'new girl'. I ignored them, occasionally sending a glare out, shoving past large crowds of people and tuning out the typical sounds of teenagers being put into one area.

The inside of the school was just as elaborate as the outside. Everything was sparking and seemed to be brand new. The floors were hardwood, and despite it being a high school they weren't badly warped. The students around me all seemed slightly posh, as if they expected this school and the clothes on their back.

I made my way through the large entry hall and into the main hall way, searching for the 'office' sign. Once I found it, I shoved past every student that was in my direct path, not caring about their complaints. A few people even sent insults my way, but I just flipped them off as I continued on my way.

When I finally reached the office, I eagerly reached for the handle to pull the door open, but it was already opening. I stepped back as the door came towards me, and watched as a short, extremely cute girl came out, her thick blonde hair going down to her butt. She had a black headband on to keep it pushed back, her bangs framing her softly shaped face. Her honey brown eyes were wide, suiting her extremely adorable appearance.

She kind of looked like a small tiger.

"Excuse me," she said in a soft voice, before shoving past me. I stared after her, feeling a small blush on my cheeks.

"Do you have a habit of staring at people?"

I jumped, spinning around, coming face to face with the blue haired boy. He was standing there as if waiting for something.

"N-no," I stuttered. "Why?"

"No reason," he said, stepping around me and grabbing the handle for the door. "It was just keeping me from getting into the office. I don't like airheads who make me wait for nothing."

He disappeared behind the door, and I stood there in a daze. Then I realized what he said. Suddenly furious, I tugged the office door open and stalked in, balling my hands into fists at my sides. "Now just one second-"

"Shh!"

I stopped, feeling my face go red. The inside of the office was completely quiet, with kids lined up on a bench, their heads down. The cat boy was nowhere to be seen, which was odd, but I was more fixated on the secretary, who was giving me the dirtiest glare I had ever seen.

She was scary looking to boot. Her short black hair had a few streaks of gray, and she was definitely overweight. She wore extremely dark red lipstick and typical granny glasses – complete with beads attached so they could hang like a necklace. She wore the ugliest yellow suit jacket and skirt I had ever seen, with a set of thick pearls around her beefy neck.

The nameplate _Nobuko_ was placed in front of her.

"Get in line," she said in a high voice that surprisingly suited her look. I swallowed and nodded, obediently taking the last bit of space available.

The bell rang in a clear, harmonious melody instead of the usual loud blare that I was used to. I frowned, not sure if this meant I would get in trouble for being late to class. However, considering I didn't know where class was, I figured I should just sit and wait.

The door flew open at that moment, and somebody stumbled through, falling on their face. I stifled a laugh, instead raising an eyebrow at the foolishness.

The somebody turned out to be a female, with light blue hair underneath a toque with a cap that was a shade darker than her hair. She wore a blue vest and blue shorts with dark blue and light blue striped tights, even her shoes blue. And when she looked at me, her eyes were a dark blue.

When she stood up, her face was completely serious, and she sighed. "I did it again..." she sighed, brushing herself off. "Are you Amu Hinamori?"

"Me?" I asked, pointing to myself. She blinked, and then rolled her eyes.

"No, the person next to you. Yes, you," she said in a monotone. "Are you or not?"

"Yeah..." I said, unsure of what to do.

"I'm Miki. I'll be showing you around the school," the girl, Miki, said. She didn't seem impressed that she had to do this, either. "Come on, we have first class together so we'll just go straight there."

"O-okay," I said. I stood up, trying to hide the fact that my knees were shaking.

I followed her quietly through the halls as they steadily emptied. Kids were rushing to their classes or leisurely making their way, but either way the halls were rapidly clearing. It made it a little easier to actually see the place.

The lockers were all painted one of six different colors, all in a pattern: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. It was like looking at hundreds of rainbows. The walls were painted a blinding white, and various pieces of art and pictures of graduating classes were displayed in empty areas of wall.

Everything was so neat and tidy, it made me a little nervous, and a little suspicious. All of those kids in the hall, and there was really no mess? That just didn't seem like a high school.

"Why is it so clean?" I asked, a little timidly.

Miki turned her head a little to give me a strange look. "If we don't clean up after ourselves, we have to take time out of our lunch until it _is_ clean. I think kids would rather have a lunch and put a few things in the garbage than no lunch and putting a lot in the garbage."

I stayed silent, continuing to look around. The doors to the classrooms had little windows that revealed the insides. They all seemed just as pretty as the rest of the school, although the colors seemed to change quite a bit. Some were the blinding white of the rest of the school, but others were beige or green or yellow. I wasn't necessarily sure why, but I didn't really want to ask this girl any more questions.

"The layout of the school is pretty simple. First floor is normal classes like languages and English and History. Second floor is for science and math, and third floor is for artsy stuff. That's where I usually am.

"This school focuses a lot on art, and creativity. Luckily for the jocks, they get their large outside area and their gym _outside_ the school, so the rest of us only have to deal with them in our mandatory classes. Oh, and here, I have your schedule for you."

Miki explained all of this, and I just nodded my head. When she handed me my schedule, I ran over it, and I couldn't help but smile a little. I actually liked these classes.

"What?" Miki asked, giving me a suspicious look.

"Nothing," I said. "I just like this schedule."

She snatched the paper out of my hands and looked, and then frowned. "You like Math Principals 11?"

"I'm alright at math..." I muttered, more to myself than her. "Maybe not the best."

"Well, like I said, we have first class together, which is English. You have Math after that, which is upstairs. You should be able to find it pretty easy; just follow the room numbers. You have Writing after that, so you'll be up on the third floor. It's right next to my art class in the same block, so I can help you find that one. And your last class of the day is...cooking. You like cooking?"

"I'm not very good at it, but I want to learn," I admitted. Then I frowned. _Not like it's any of your business._

"Eh, I'm not that big on cooking myself. I prefer drawing. But I suppose cooking is its own art." Miki handed my schedule back to me and took the lead again. We were in the left side of the school, heading closer to the end. There were a surprising amount of classrooms.

"Here we are," Miki said finally. She came to a stop in front of a door that, through the window, I could see led to a room colored a light pink.

I clenched the schedule in my hands, feeling nervous all over again. Miki opened the door with a perfectly normal expression, not nervous at all, but over her shoulder I could see all of the students eagerly looking to see who the new student was. I didn't want to let them see.

Miki seemed to notice I wasn't followed her, and turned around. "What are you waiting for?" she asked, giving me an expecting look.

"Nothing..." I muttered, and closed my eyes. I inhaled, and stepped through the door. I could feel the blood rushing to my ears. I opened my eyes again and faced the stares.

My English teacher stood at the front of the room, his carrot colored hair long enough that he had it tied into a loose ponytail. His green eyes were slightly hidden behind his round glasses, and he gave me a warm smile. Immediately, he struck me as the klutzy type, just from how untidy his hair was and clumsy his smile looked. He even held himself in a precarious way.

"Hello, you must be the new student Amu. I'm Mr. Nikaido, your English teacher," he introduced. I could hear whispers everywhere, and I gave a nervous twitch of a smile. "Do you want to introduce yourself?"

I looked out at all the unfamiliar faces, and I frowned. I looked back at the English teacher, and I decided to play it cool. "No thanks, I don't need to."

I probably said it a little colder than I meant to, but I went to sit down at the first empty seat I could find, which happened to be on the opposite side that Miki was on. A few people were looking at me in awe, while others seemed to think I was overconfident. If only they knew.

"Alright, then let's do attendance," Mr. Nikaido said, clapping his hands. No one paid him any real attention, starting to talk to one another. He sighed in a let-down manner.

I looked around me. The person sitting in front of me was female, although she didn't seem to have anything special to notice about her. Next to me was a boy with light brown hair and bright green eyes, his skin fairly tanned. He had a soccer ball under his desk that he was absently rolling with his cleat-covered feet. He wore a pair of blue shorts, and a yellow t-shirt. He glanced at me, and when he saw me looking at him, he grinned. I looked away.

On my other side was the girl from the bus. She was once again staring at me intently. This time, it was difficult to just brush her off. "So you're new to the school," she said. "I wondered why I didn't recognize you on the bus. Where did you come from?"

I didn't particularly want to talk to this girl. She seemed too knowledgeable, with the way her eyes seemed to look right through me. "Victoria."

"That's pretty far away from here. A bigger city, too. Why did you move to a town?" she asked.

"For my parents' work..." I muttered, looking away and watching as my hands folded and twisted the poor schedule.

"I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Nadeshiko." She stuck her hand out. I stared at how soft it looked, how long her fingers were and how pretty her fingernails looked. I had never thought of fingernails as pretty before. However, this girl seemed to scream 'elegant'. I hadn't noticed before, but she wore a black blazer with a white dress shirt, a red tie, and a red skirt. It reminded me of a school uniform.

"Hi," I muttered, though not willingly. "I'm Amu."

"Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm glad you're in at least one of my classes. If you ever need help with anything, just let me know." She seemed so genuine that I had a hard time not blushing and thanking her. However, luckily, the second bell rang and everyone had to turn their attention to the front, relieving both myslef and Mr. Nikaido.

* * *

><p>"So who's the new girl?" Iru asked, playing with her devil horn hair.<p>

"I hear there's two of them; sisters," Yaya replied excitedly. "I hear one of them is super adorable! Apparently the older sister is a little weird, though. Someone had her in first period and said she totally blew everyone off, even Nadeshiko!"

"Keh, the world could do with more people who would do that," Iru said snidely. I rolled my eyes.

"What do you think, Ikuto?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm sure they're the same as everyone else here. Besides that, why did you follow me up to the roof?" I asked, making sure to make it obvious I was annoyed.

"Because it's nice up here," Yaya said cheerfully.

"Because it's awesome to bug the hell out of you," Iru said.

"Go away."

"What if we don't want to?" Iru pried. I turned my body towards them in my laying position.

"I could always throw you off the roof. Then we can see if you really are black on the inside," I responded in a monotone. Iru glared at me, clearly not impressed. With a huff, she stood up, hiking her pants up so they no longer showed her underwear, and stalked off towards the door. Yaya looked at me and then at Iru's retreating figure, and stood up. She sent me a wink before running off.

I sighed, lying flat on my back and closing my eyes. They probably wouldn't even bother going back to class. How many classes had I been to now, since school had started? I couldn't even remember. I wasn't sure if I had bothered going on the first day, even. My memories were only of being up here, staring at the blue sky.

When was summer going to end?

"_Summer time is the best...it's when everyone's happiest, isn't it?"_

Those were foolish words. Summer was just a hectic time full of people using the sun as an excuse to take a holiday. It was dry and full of sweat, or humid and full of more sweat. There were disgusting insects everywhere and mosquitoes carrying their diseases.

I placed my hands behind my head, using them as a pillow. With a deep breath, I opened my eyes, looking at the endless blue. Beyond that sky were billions of trillions of stars and planets, worlds that no one has ever seen and other dimensions. The unlimited possibilities of outer space. Galaxy upon galaxy.

So much bigger than just one person. Infinitely bigger. Yet one person could think they were the universe themselves.

And I was chained here, to this earth, with nowhere else to go. I was stuck in such a small world, pulled into the life that I was forced to live by society's rule. Not only by society, but by my own mother choosing to leave me in the hands of someone else.

People were pathetic. They couldn't handle responsibility, yet teach their children every day that being responsible is the most important thing. They threw their money away, thought carelessly of things, expected things to be given to them, and complained about all of it. I saw no responsibility.

There was no one else in this school who knew what it was like to live a life like mine, and yet so many of them thought they had it so hard, just because their parents didn't understand why they wanted to stay out a couple hours later.

I felt stupid sitting on this roof, even though I knew that whether I went to school or not I would be stuck in the same life forever. Even if I got an education, there was nothing I could do with it. I only went for _her_ sake, because I didn't want to worry her. Yet every day, she seemed to care less and less anyways.

_What the hell am I _doing_ in this place?_

"Let me guess, you're thinking 'what am I doing here?', right?"

I barely managed to not yell out in surprise, snapping my head to the side. I hadn't even heard the door to the roof open.

The girl that had been standing in front of the office was there, sitting against the wall by the door. She wasn't looking at me, but at the sky. Her eyes were a bright amber color, almost gold. In the sunlight, they seemed to glow. Her pink hair just barely touched her shoulders, with a single barrette pinning her bangs back.

Her skin looked soft, with a creamy complexion, and her lips were full and pink. There was no sign of make-up anywhere on her face; a refreshing fact. She wore a relatively cute outfit, as well. Sitting there, she didn't look as spaced out as she had in the halls. She looked serene.

I sighed, and smiled to myself gently. She was beautiful.

"Completely off target," I said. "Sorry."

"Oh...you just looked a lot like how I felt." Her voice was soft, vulnerable, as she admitted her feelings.

"Then maybe you shouldn't be here if you're having doubts," I said, sitting up. "Or did you just hear a rumour that a gorgeous guy was up here and decide to come check me out?"

Her face flushed in embarrassment and she stuck her tongue out. Obviously offended, she stood up and yanked hard on the doorknob. "Who would?" She snapped, disappearing. I stared at the door long after it had swung shut, chuckling to myself.

_Cute..._

End Chapter

A/N: Back from the dead? ...no...not really. This is basically just a fanfic to keep me busy while I research for the book I want to write. It's not meant to be anything special, really, but I do miss writing fanfics. I kinda can't remember what I wanted to write for my other one anymore, so I don't know if I _can_ continue it. So next best thing is...start a new one! Anyways, review and let me know what you think.

Also, I'm not sure if I'll keep doing split chapters with both of their POVs, or if Ikuto's POV will just be a rare treat.


	2. Unnecessary Meeting

Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara!

Chapter 2: Unnecessary Meeting

The eerie silence was starting to irritate me in my search, and I bit my lip.

I drew a finger along the row of books before me, then looked at my fingertip. Dust now layered it, and I absently wiped it off on my jeans as I looked at the streak my finger had made on the books. How long had it been since they had last been read?

I pulled a book out at random, deciding not to be choosy. They all covered the same topic anyways. Flipping it open to a random page, I skimmed the words before me before sighing. Why did it have to be such tiny print? I just wanted to find a nice, easy read that would lead me to the answer I was searching for. This book was almost a thousand pages long, and each page may as well have been two pages with how small the print was. It would take me ages to find what I was looking for.

I was on the brink of calling it a lost cause and just giving up the search entirely.

Then something caught my eye on the page I had flipped open to.

I read the page more carefully, and a smile slowly crept onto my face. "Finally!"

A loud 'shh!' was heard from somewhere else in the school library, most likely the librarian, and I covered my mouth. However, I couldn't help but grin in excitement.

No longer needing the book, I put it back into its spot, where it would probably not get picked up again for another couple of years. None of the books in this whole aisle looked like they had been picked up recently, in fact.

I pretty much skipped back to my work table, where Miki was mulling over an essay. She looked up at me and gave me a sarcastic smile that I was already warming up to. "You look like you just won the lottery."

"I finally figured it out!" I sang, plopping down in my chair and quickly grabbing the pen that was next to my pink and black binder (I had bought it after realizing I didn't have one).

"Figured what out?" Miki asked, trying to see what I was writing down.

"Shakespeare's birthday," I replied. Miki stared at me for a very long moment, a clearly disbelieving look on her face.

"That's what you've been spending this whole time doing? Looking for Shakespeare's _birthday_? Why didn't you just _Google_ it?" she asked incredulously. I faltered in my automatic response of 'whatever', and bit my lip.

"I didn't think of that," I admitted. It would have been twenty times easier than looking through old books that were difficult to search through. However, I couldn't fully be blamed. My parents didn't really let me use their work lap tops, so I rarely got the opportunity to use a computer. I had grown used to not using technology as my savior in finding things out.

Miki continued to give me a look of disbelief and slight amusement. I blushed, knowing that she was making fun of me. I was about to defend myself when the bell rang to signal the end of English class. Miki seemed to forget about my silly mistake, sighing in relief. "Finally. I hate researching for English essays. They're supposed to be creative, not prepared."

I chuckled to myself as I gathered my things, making sure I had written down what I had been looking for. It was now my third day at the school, and so far the only person I had really talked to was Miki. Although she was sarcastic and abrupt, and quite honest, she made me feel welcome. She also seemed to like me well enough, which was probably a good thing because the people she didn't like tended to get very nasty looks.

The library was on the first floor, although luckily it was right next to a staircase so I didn't have to deal with the first floor traffic. Miki walked with me up the staircase, muttering to herself about something, and I watched the various faced that passed me. Most of them weren't noteworthy. However, one girl with her light brown hair in two small, baby-like pigtails in two red bows and twinkling brown eyes looked me straight in the eye.

Instead of instantly looking away or, the reaction I was starting to get used to, sneering, she winked at me and sent a huge smile my way. As we got closer, she came to a halt. I paused, not sure if she was stopping for me or not. However, she was still looking me directly in the eyes.

Miki stopped with me, and gave the girl a wary look.

"You're Amu Hinamori, right? You and your sister just moved here. I'm Yaya Yuiki!" she stuck her hand out enthusiastically, and when I took it she could've lifted me off the ground she shook it so excitedly. "If you ever need to learn anything about the school or anyone in it, just let me know! I'll be happy to help!"

I just nodded, unsure of how to handle the hyper girl. The sound of disgruntled teenagers reached my ears, and I realized that people on the staircase were starting to get angry with us for blocking their way. "I-I have to go. Thank you."

I started up the stairs again before anything else could be said, Miki close behind, and when I looked back to see if Yaya was still standing there, I found that she was chattering to the devil horned girl I had seen on the bus on my first day.

The first time I had seen that blue haired boy. I felt my cheeks flame up as I thought of him, cursing myself for deciding to 'go to the washroom' during Math class to check out the roof that day. He had completely ruined my experience, the ass. After that, I had made sure that Ami and I got on the earlier bus, so I wouldn't have to see him again.

Before I realized it, I was in front of my math class, still fuming. When I came out of my reverie, startled by the fact that I was in front of my class already, I looked behind me guiltily. I hadn't even said anything to Miki. With a disgruntled sigh, I entered the dreaded class room.

I had thought I would be happy with my schedule, but I had been completely wrong. I had been thinking that math class would be fun, since in my last school it had the best teacher I had ever had, but I had not stopped to think that the teachers would be completely different for a different school.

Now, I was stuck with an old man who wheezed his way through his lessons, and I was hardly able to understand any of it. With my luck, I'd be failing this class. It seemed like the rest of my class was at that point, too, so I didn't feel too bad, but at the same time at least they knew each other and could study with each other to try and figure it out. I was completely on my own.

I took my seat with a defeated sigh, opening my binder to my math section, where my single page of dismal notes from yesterday resided. I skimmed the notes, giving up quickly when I realized that the second half of the first sentence was from a completely different part of the lesson than the first half.

"Ugh…" I muttered, falling forward and hitting my forehead against the notes. I didn't bother sitting back up, closing my eyes.

"You're…Miss Hinamori, right?" a soft, polite, male voice asked. I tensed, then raised my head slowly. I felt my cheeks reddening of their own accord.

"Y-yes," I stuttered, staring into the eyes of Tadase Hotori. His mauve colored eyes made my breath hitch, and the way his blonde hair sat in such a cute style, with his bangs framing his handsome face. He was so polite, and adorable, and so kind!

"If you need help with your math, I'd be willing to help," he said, his eyes straying to my notes. I hurriedly hid them by placing my elbows over the paper, leaning my chin on folded hands. I gave a nervous laugh. "If you don't need help, though, then don't worry about it."

"I think I can manage…" I said. I barely even managed to get that out; how was I going to manage getting by in this math class? But the idea of such a kind figure tutoring me just seemed too unreal, and I didn't want to risk anything by saying yes. I had learned that pretty things were best kept at a distance, for fear of either breaking them or seeing the flaws in them by looking too close.

"Alright, well, if you ever need help, there's a tutoring class after school. I'd be willing to help you out then. It'll be in the library," he said, and then smiled. With a small wave, he walked off. I gave a little moan of acknowledgement, watching him go to his seat on the other side of the classroom.

He had come over _just to talk to me_. It made my heart pound.

("...")

"Well, having a crush to look at is healthy. You need something to concentrate on in class, otherwise you'll just die of boredom," Ami said, taking a bite into her sandwich. It was lunch time, and I had found her specifically to tell her about my beating heart. She seemed more surprised by the fact that it was Tadase than that I was crushing on someone.

"But it's embarrassing…and I don't want it to grow to anything more." I looked down at the ground with a frown, twirling my thumbs. After last time, I would rather never find a guy attractive again.

"I know, Amu, but like I said, it's healthy. Just make sure it's all from afar. Maybe go to get some tutoring done so that you can shamelessly look at him for a bit, but don't let it get any further than that. Besides, tutoring is a good idea for you. Math really isn't your strong point," Ami observed, giving me a pointed look.

"I know…I just don't want to seem too eager if I show up there today after saying I'd be fine this morning," I muttered, suddenly wondering why I said I'd be able to manage to Tadase.

"It doesn't matter, Amu! Jeeze. Just go. If anything, since he was the one who invited you, he'd just be happy to see you came. Just remember that you're not going for anything more than eye candy." Ami was severe about this, even shaking her finger at me, and I nodded.

"Right…eye candy…" I muttered, wondering how my little sister knew all of this. As far as I knew, she had never even had a boyfriend. I sighed, staring down at my hands. After a moment of silence, I clutched at my hair and shook my head. "What the hell am I saying? I've never seen anyone as eye candy before! What the hell does that even mean? AGH!"

Ami just chuckled, clearly amused by my utter frustration.

("...")

I took a deep breath. My hand clenched and unclenched around my back pack strap, and I bit my lip. Sweat was starting to form on my palms, and a little on my forehead. I took a step forward, then another, and then another. Swallowing and biting my lip a little harder, I opened the library door.

The tables were full of students bending over books, discussing whatever subject they were there for. I fidgeted in my spot in front of the door, unsure of what I was doing, searching for Tadase.

"Oh, Miss Hinamori!" I turned around to find Tadase behind me, a guilty look on his face. At first I was excited to see him. Then the look registered. I frowned, confused. Then I saw what he was holding. _Social Studies 11 Guide_.

"Are you not teaching math today?" I asked, already feeling the disappointment welling up inside of me.

"No, I usually teach math Mondays and Fridays. I'm sorry, Miss Hinamori. I didn't think you were going to come today. Ikuto is available, though. He's at table five. He's better at math than I am, since he's a senior and has already taken the course, so he'll be a much better help," Tadase said, clearly trying to be helpful. How did I explain I only came for _his_ tutoring?

I sighed, knowing that I should have been expecting such a result. "Thank you, Tadase. I guess I'll give it a try."

"Great! Table five is just behind that bookshelf there," he said, beaming as he pointed to a bookshelf to our left.

I smiled gratefully, though still filled with disappointment, and dragged my feet to where he had pointed. I pondered on who this Ikuto character was, curious if I had seen him around before or not. He probably wouldn't catch my attention as much as Tadase, anyways, so maybe it was for the best. This way, I'd actually be able to pay attention to what I was being taught.

I went past the bookshelf Tadase had pointed to, seeing the table he had said I would find, and stopped. Sitting at the table was the blue haired boy, staring down at a math book, looking utterly bored. His navy eyes didn't seem to be registering the words he saw, and his soft lips were moving, as if he were talking.

One hand was supporting his head, but the other tapped a rhythm on the table. I stared at the long, graceful fingers, and how soft the skin looked. Each tap triggered a muscle that caused a small twitch in his wrist, but otherwise his body was completely still. It curled in slightly, but was otherwise completely relaxed, his feet crossed casually while stretched out as far as they could reach. I hadn't realized how tall he was until then. He wore a white long sleeved shirt this time, with a black stripe along the chest, and a pair of navy blue jeans.

I was staring at his slender but muscular neck when he coughed, causing his throat to flex. I blushed. Then I realized that the cough was to catch my attention. He was looking right at me.

"See something you like?" he asked, and I blushed harder.

"No!" I snapped, about to turn around. Then I remembered that I was here for tutoring, and this was the table I was supposed to be at. I couldn't just walk away. "Where's Ikuto?"

He raised an eyebrow, and then smirked. "Not here yet," he said. "Do you need him for something?"

"He's supposed to tutor me," I muttered. "Are you here for tutoring, too?"

"I don't know why else I would be at the library. I don't like being here by choice," the boy said. His tone suggested this should have been obvious. I didn't like talking to him. He made me feel like an idiot.

"Well if all you do is sit on the roof when you're here, it's not a surprise you need tutoring," I said, taking a seat across from him. I was hyperaware of the fact that his feet almost reached the chair in the position he was in, and was careful to place my own feet away from his.

He didn't say anything, just smiled secretively and looked back down at his text book. I felt awkward sitting there, trying to look at anything but him. However, it was extremely difficult. Despite how egotistical and sarcastic he was, I couldn't help but look at him. His eyebrows were perfectly stenciled, pointing downwards in a frown, his eyes concentrated all of a sudden. His tongue flicked out briefly, licking his lips, and my heart thudded.

I shook my head, quickly pulling my binder out of my bag and opening it. I heard a light chuckle, and looked up to find he was now watching me. "You look flustered."

"Don't flatter yourself," I said. "Is this guy usually late?"

"Oh no, usually he's right on time. I'm glad he's not today, though. Why, are you feeling too nervous to be alone with me? Do I make your heart thud?" He leaned forward in devious interest. He was smirking, and it made me want to wipe the smile off his face.

"Only in your dreams," I said coolly. I wouldn't let him get to me. However, I couldn't help noticing the sweat that was once again forming on my palms, and the way my lip beckoned for me to bite it – and the way my heart thudded.

I wouldn't let him win.

He reached out, and I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling my face go red, expecting his hand to caress my cheek. A flick was felt on my forehead. I opened my eyes, startled, to find him leaning over, his hand still at my forehead, his finger still where it had landed.

"You don't have to be so defensive, you know," he said. "It's good to loosen up once in a while."

A breath left me in a whoosh, and I stared into his eyes, feeling my throat constrict. I nodded a little, feeling my lips part slightly. I let my tongue flick out to wet them, suddenly feeling like they were very, very dry. I felt myself leaning forward involuntarily.

He just watched me carefully, his eyes studying me, looking into me. I felt vulnerable under those eyes, as if they could see right through my disguise. His hand dropped to the table, and he frowned. He was leaning forward, too, his eyes darting back and forth as he looked into mine.

"Ikuto, are you being nice to Miss Hinamori?" a voice called, breaking the atmosphere. A sudden disappointment filled me, confusing me. What had even happened there?

I looked up to find Tadase peeking around the corner, staring right at the blue haired boy. Then his words registered in my head, and I gasped, looking at the boy.

"_You're_ Ikuto?" I demanded, standing up. He just sighed, leaning back in his chair. He seemed frustrated.

"What of it?" he asked, no longer teasing, just cold.

"You could have _told_ me, instead of making me think it was someone else!" I cried, throwing my hands up in the air in frustration. "All you've done every time I see you is make fun of me! Can't you do anything else?"

I grabbed my bag and threw it over my shoulder, and gathered up my binder, glaring sharply at the now blank faced boy. He just shrugged, not looking at me. I groaned in frustration, turned, and stalked out of the library, various different insults running through my head.

"You stupid cat!"

("...")

My room was eerily quiet. It was an unusual occurrence. Usually, I had music playing, or the TV on in the background. Tonight, though, I didn't feel like turning either on. I just sat at my desk, swaying back and forth in my swivel chair, my feet dragging on the floor. My fingers tapped a tuneless rhythm – the same pattern that I remembered Ikuto's hands doing, before his mouth had ruined the image.

It had only been my third time talking to him, yet he had me sitting here, grieving over him. It was frustrating, and a little humiliating. I didn't want to be affected this way again. There was too much history for me to fall all over again.

No, I hadn't fallen. It was too soon to say that. Besides, he was arrogant and cold and sarcastic, and so far had given me no reason to trust him. He couldn't even tell me who he was! It was unfair, and he seemed to only enjoy teasing me. Besides, he was a delinquent. He had been skipping class in order to be sleeping on that roof.

_You went up there to skip class, too, Hinamori. Don't act so innocent._

I moaned in frustration, thumping my head against the desk, wondering just how many times I would be doing that in this town. I had already done it once just today, and that time, Tadase had approached me.

Tadase. Adorable, kind, prince-like Tadase. It was hard not to like him. If I was reading people's facial expressions correctly, then every other girl in my class also admired him. He was just the type that people were drawn to. I was not an exception, despite what everyone may have thought.

Compared to Tadase, Ikuto was a star next to the moon. Of course he was. There was no way Ikuto, bitter and dark, could even come close to a shining person like Tadase. Tadase was the better, the obvious choice.

And now I was thinking as if I had a choice between the two.

"How the hell am I already deciding between two guys when I've only been here for three days?" I screamed, pulling at my hair. I stood up abruptly, grabbing the black hoodie strewn over the chair, and stalked out of the room. Ami opened her bedroom door, peeking her head out at me in concern.

"What's going on?" she asked. I passed her without answering, taking the steps two at a time. I slipped my 'outside' shoes on, a pair of very old, very ratty skate shoes that were for the sole purpose of getting outside quickly, and left the house.

I still wasn't entirely familiar with the area, but if I recalled correctly, there was a park only two blocks away. Turning in the direction I believed it to be in, I glanced back at my new house. It was a two story, painted a dark purple on the outside, with just a simple yard and a white picket fence, and a driveway leading up to the side of the house.

It was completely different from our old home, which had been white and only one floor, and we had been renting instead of owning a house. This was ten times more of a home than that place had been, but it was still _here_. Not there. I had grown used to that place, had actually started calling it home. It was one of the longest periods of time that our family had stayed in one place.

However, it was probably a good thing that I no longer was able to call that place home. For one, I could understand the opportunity my parents had found – they had found good, permanent jobs, and were able to afford their _own_ house. There was also the fact that I had dug myself into a hole so deep in that city, that living there any longer would've just been miserable.

My parents still hardly knew about anything that had happened there.

Ami didn't even know the full extent of the things that had happened in that city. There were quite a few things I didn't remember myself, though that was my own fault.

The park came into view about five minutes after I had left. I looked at the size of it, slightly in awe. It was like a city park. There was a huge field, with a couple of cement paths leading to the center, where an elaborate playground was set up. Along the edges of the park were trees, bordering the whole thing (albeit with relatively large gaps in between), and there was even a parking lot specifically for the park on its left side, where the biggest gap of trees was.

I walked through the field, not caring about walking along a path, and was happy to having the feeling of grass under my feet. That was something I had missed from one of the other towns I had lived in, where there were fields everywhere and no one cared about paths.

Half way to the park, I stopped. I looked around, taking in the quiet, my eyes probing everywhere I could see, and when I was sure there was no one there, I dropped onto my butt and fell backwards. I hit my head a little harder than expected when I hit the ground, but I just laughed, taking in the feeling of nature's bed.

The grass here was green and thick and soft. It was well maintained, and it hadn't been cut for at least a week, as it wasn't itchy like cut grass. I grabbed a handful of the wonderful substance, taking in the cool feeling against my hand.

I took a deep breath, filling my nostrils with the beautiful smell of nature. I really had missed this. I looked up at the sky, and gasped. The stars were so much brighter here than they had been in the city. I soaked it in, lying in the middle of the field, nothing blocking my gaze from that beautiful view.

"What are you doing here?"

I jumped, the voice completely unexpected. I hadn't even heard anyone approaching. I sat up, whipping my head around, and frowned. "Oh…I don't see why it's any of your business."

I stared at Ikuto, who was looking at me with wide eyes. He looked good under the stars, as if he belonged there. I didn't really understand why he looked so angry, though. It was a public park. I was allowed to sit in the middle of the field.

Then, his expression relaxed into an easy smile that I had, already, become familiar with. It was sad that I already knew that smile. "It seems like I just can't escape from you. You really are a top-of-the-art stalker."

"Excuse me?" I snapped, pulling myself up so I could at least be a little less towered over. I stood at my full height, glaring him right in the eye.

"Unfortunately, I don't even know the name of my stalker," Ikuto continued, looking down at his nails like some kind of preppy girl. I raised an eyebrow. I hadn't thought of him as feminine until now. Then he looked up at me, and in his eyes was genuine curiosity. His voice was a little softer when he spoke; "what's your name?"

I wanted to stay silent, or lie to him like he had to me. However, looking into those eyes, seeing how curious he was, I couldn't help but answer honestly. "Amu."

"Amu…" he whispered, and a shiver went down my spine. Suddenly, he looked behind him. I noticed a car parked in the parking lot, the lights still on. When he looked at me again, for just a brief second that wide eyed look was back, and then he was smiling again. It was so quick I wasn't sure it had actually happened. "So, do you make it a habit to go out to dark parks alone at night?"

"Only when I'm frustrated with something," I said. I tried not to give away that he was what I was frustrated over, but I had a feeling that he could tell.

"I'd love to hear why you're frustrated, but right now really isn't the time. Why don't you go back home?" Ikuto asked, and though it seemed like a question that should have good intentions, I just felt like a kid being picked on by an older bully.

"I don't have to. This place is public," I said evenly. I wouldn't let him know how he affected me. However, my answer seemed to have frustrated him. The easy smile disappeared, and he frowned.

"Amu, you need to go home," he said. His voice was cold, harsh. It made me nervous. This was much worse than when he had gotten moody in the library. This time, he was completely serious, and there was no room for anything else but what he said.

"Why?" I whispered. I tried to look up at him, to meet his eyes, but I couldn't. I hung my head, clenching my fists at my sides. "Why should I listen to you?"

"You just have to trust me." I looked up in surprise at his response. He was looking at me earnestly now, and once again looked behind him, at the ominous black car. "Go."

"Ikuto…" I whispered, suddenly a little frightened. He looked at me, something new in his eyes, something I couldn't name, and smiled.

"Or would you rather I brought you to my car and we had a nice…_chat_ in the back seat?"

I went rigid. Pursing my lips, I turned, throwing my fist in the air and raising my middle finger while I stalked off.

"Ass hole!" I yelled over my shoulder. However, no chuckling followed after me this time. When I looked back to see if he was watching me, I was surprised by the look of relief on his face right before he turned to head towards the car.

("...")

"Did you hear about the murder last night? Two police officers were shot at Golden Park."

"No way! Who could have done it?"

"That's really scary, man. I live close to there."

"Yeah…me too…"

I frowned as the rumors floated around me. True rumors, this time. It had been on the news this morning, and mom and dad had been watching it. When I had entered the kitchen, they had both looked at me severely.

"No more late night walks, Amu. It's too dangerous," her dad had said. She couldn't help but agree.

However, it was not so much the murder of two police officers that bothered her. It was the fact that the shooting had taken place not too long after she had left. And Ikuto had still been there. She remembered the way he had told her to leave. The way he had been pushing her, from the start, to get out. The way his voice had been so worried when he had asked what she was doing there.

She remembered the car, and how Ikuto kept looking back at it.

Ikuto…did he have something to do with it?

_Of course not. He was probably just meeting some girl he didn't want anyone to see. He probably left right after I did. Don't be so paranoid, Hinamori._

* * *

><p>I sighed, pulling my hood over my eyes to block out the sun. I could feel her next to me, sitting there in silence. It was something that she was good at. She knew how to take in all of my feelings, and not harass me about them. She knew how to accept all of it.<p>

She was stronger than I was at times. It was a good thing, though. She needed to be strong. We both did. Otherwise, we would be fed to the dogs. Probably literally. She started to hum a familiar tune. It was one I had written for her when we were still kids. I smiled.

Suddenly, she stopped. "Ikuto?"

"Hmm?"

"Gozen…did Gozen make you do it? Or did he do it?"

I sat in silence. Slowly, I pulled my hood up and looked at her, sitting directly in the sun's path, a ray of light framing her. Then, I held my hand out, fingers spread, showing her – there was no blood. "Not yet."

Utau smiled, relief clear in her eyes.

"I'm glad."

I just nodded, pulling my hood back over my eyes. She continued the song from where she had left off, this time singing. My mind strayed, going to the nightmare I had had. It had been different last night. Instead of something I had already seen, it was something that could happen.

A pink haired girl sprawled on the floor, her clothes torn to indecency. Blood poured out of her mouth and a bullet hole in her chest. Her amber eyes, once full of life, were glazed, frozen into a terrified look.

I had thrown up that morning.

There was no describing the relief I had felt when Amu had walked away last night. The girl was stubborn, and I had been starting to worry that I wouldn't be able to make her leave in time. In the desperate situation I had been in, I had even let my guard down. It was embarrassing, but it had done the trick.

I would rather have that dream for the rest of my life than see it actually happen. The meeting had been purely coincidence, though, and chances were I would never have to worry about the girl again. Soon, she would just be another girl who went to this stupid school.

But for now, she was the woman of my dreams.

End Chapter

A/N: (sigh)…I dunno how I feel about this chapter. I think I'm moving things too fast. I'll have to slow it down next chapter. This was mostly just to get things into play. Next chapter will be nice and quiet…I think. We'll see. I generally don't have a plan for these things. Especially not this one, since it's purely for the pleasure of getting some writing done while I suffer from (seemingly permanent) writer's block with Fate and research disease with my book. Review onegai!


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